Id like to see Arya sent to kill someone in The Vale (Little Finger?) and whilst there somehow become reunited with Sansa, the 2 embrace and hear news of Rickon's survival, spurring on The Vales involvment in the conflict.

In one vast swoop of Sandors sword, that episode made me forget every complaint ive had with this series, sure it wasnt *quite* like the book, but as far as bringing the best of Blackwater to the TV screens, the did it with stunning results. It was directed well, produced brilliantly and very well written. I have no real complaints to add, except for the need for ad breaks!!

This series starting to be hit & miss with me, with stuff in each episode. I enjoy lots of thing, but get annoyed with others. On this whole, this is a good week, the Kings Landing scenes were very good and when the Hound rescued Sansa was awesome. Tyrion smacking Joff was excellent. But the 2 main gripes I have is the changes, which wouldnt be so bad if they wasnt so extreme. This whole Robb romance thing would have been easy to do, the next time he sees this bird (Jeyne Westerling?) is when she's treating his wounds in her old mans keep after Robbs taken it. That explains the romance, and keeps it relevent to the books for when she next appears infront of Cat as Robbs new wife. The other part, and its a good/bad is still Harrenhal. I actually enjoy Tywin in this, the actor plays him down to a T. But at the same time, I keep reminding myself he shouldnt be there, Maybe next week some of the Northeners (and Roose?) will arrive in chains allowing for Arya to free them with her last kill moving the story back in sync with the books...

I dopubt he's going to find it now, perhaps they've written it so that Sam wonders upon finding it, its a minor thing for his character, but Sam defeating that 1 whitewalker with it gives us Sam the Slayer! Im not sure I like the look of Qhorin Halfhand, nothing against the actor but he just doesnt look as badass as Qhorin obviously is in the books. I always imagined him looking like a character 'Keldorn' from the PC game Baldurs Gate 2. Not a bad episode though, I think its better then last weeks and I cant wait to see what the battle at FoFM looks like, although I think that S2 will end with those 3 horn blasts.

3 Stand alone books, but by the same Author. Iain M Banks, whose SciFi books in the "Culture" series are highly recommended. Ive read 3 and wanted to list them here. I should point out that they are centered on a space-faring society known as The Culture, an Eutopian society where everything is run by sentient machines who serve everyone to make life as pleasurable as possible, yet also play at politics of other societys, bending what happens to ensure that the result is for what (The Culture believes) is for the best of everyone. Each book is stand-alone, no characters shared, different parts of the galaxy etc, no sequels. - Consider Phelbas - "The war raged across the galaxy. Billions had died, billions more were doomed. Moons, planets, the very stars themselves, faced destruction, cold-blodded, brutal and worse, random. The Iridians fought for their Faith; The Culture for its moral right to exist. Principles were at stake. There could be no surrender. Within the cosmic conflict, and individual crusade. Deep within a fabled labyrinth on a barren world, a Planet of the Dead proscibed to mortals, lay a fugitive Mind. Both the Culture and the Irifians sought it. It was the fate of Horza, the Changer, and his motley crew of unpredictible mercenaries, human and machine, actually to find it, and with it their own destruction." I LOVE this book, it was the first one I read by Banks and probably the best 'Culture book' to start with as it describes The Culture in great detail (making the other books easier to know what is what). Its a non-stop rollercoaster ride from beginning to end with setpiece followed by setpiece. - The Player of Games. "The Culture - a Human/Machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players, and one of the greatest is Gurgeh. Jernau Morat Gurgeh. The Player of Games. Master of every board, computer & strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel and incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game... a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gergeh accepts the game, and with it the challenge of his life - and possibly his death." A different book to Consider Phlebas, more in the desciption of the society of Azad and how desceptive it is from first appearences and less on the space opera action. Great read though. - Use of Weapons "The man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks or military action. The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings, she did not know him as well as she thought. The drone known as Skaffen-Amtiskaw knew both of these people. It had once saved the womans' life by massacring her attackers in a particularly bloody manner. It believed the man to be a burnt-out case. But not even its machine intelligence could see the horrors in his past." I think, that UOW might be my favourite of the 3 books (ive currently read). Its got an awesome ending, its filled with great intertwinning stories and an excellent plot delivery and 3 characters that I liked. Its probably the least friendly of the 3 books as an introduction, Consider Phlebas is the best for that, but Id say it makes a great book to read afterwards.

Thats pretty much it, the only way that Quint could be the mummers dragon is if another Martell was the Suns Son. And the only persons active is Arianne, but even with Dorne recognising female heirs, its still a stretch to consider her a "son".

Hello all! I, like many others, discovered ASOIAF after watching & loving the recent HBO series A Game of Thrones and instantly went and read all the books back to back before finding this forum. Loved the books but reading the threads here shows just how much more then a simple fantasy series they are, with the threorys and history in the books, I plan on re-reading them in the next year (after the list of other books I have). Anyway, Im from Kent and yes, I am a Pink Floyd fan (hense the username)

I dont buy Aegon being anything other then a fake. I doubt GRRM would leave it to the 5th book to introduce a character that supposedly is the natural (alive) heir of the Iron Throne. If its true and he is really the real Aegon, then its nothing short of a cop-out (borderline deus ex machina device). It just seems too convenient that when it appears that Dany isnt coming to Westeros just yet, someone claiming to be a Targ surviving child is released on the world to claim the Iron Throne by Varys and Illryio. But then i suppose.... why didnt those 2 help Dany further to get her to Westeros (e.g. sending ships).